Patrick D'Orazio - Into the Dark

Jeff spied Frank leaning against one of the cars. The hick chuckled as he picked his teeth. He nodded toward him and George.

“You two ladies have fun out there.”

Jeff ignored him as he caught George’s eye. “You ready?”

The other man shrugged. Jeff leaned over, picked up the satchel George had set on the ground, and shoved it into his hands. “Come on.” They moved, following the teenagers.

Jeff remembered the look on Teddy’s face as the boy had looked back at him. The short, athletic adolescent might be just another hyperactive kid at first glance, but when you got a good look at his eyes, you started to understand him a bit better. Teddy had a clear head and was far less strung-out than Ray, his best buddy. Ray would jump at his own shadow, while Teddy struck Jeff as the type who would stay calm under pressure.

That was what made the look the teen had given him all the more disconcerting. Teddy had survived a lot over the past few weeks, and Jeff could only guess at the horrors he had experienced during that time. He was a seasoned warrior, regardless of how young and diminutive he was.

Jeff took a deep breath and let the air escape like a leaking tire between his teeth. He could feel an ache in every one of his bones and a tightening in his chest. Teddy’s look told him how terrified the boy was of what they were about to do.

As he moved to catch up to the others, Jeff whispered under his breath, “You and me both, kid. You and me both.”

Jason slammed the door behind him and moved to the bed in the RV. He picked up the few books he had commandeered from the farmhouse at which he and the others had stayed a couple of nights before. They were the extent of his worldly possessions.

Staying in the RV with George and the others was no longer an option. Not when the three adults believed it was their right to run his life. He would ask to move in with Ben and the teenagers when they returned from their expedition.

The arguments over whether he was allowed to stay or go with the men had been humiliating. Jason had known George would act the way he had-pretending he was Jason’s father, making decisions about everything, even after the stoic man barely paid any attention to him while they were alone in that church for over a month.

Megan was more surprising, jumping into the argument, screaming like some maniac. She barely knew Jason and was already trying to act like she was in charge of things. Letting her comfort him after the nightmare he had the other morning was a huge mistake. That was when things had changed between them.

Even Jeff had chimed in during the argument, which Jason found hard to believe. The man hadn’t strung together more than ten words in a row to Jason since they’d met, so the young boy suspected he was just trying to impress Megan by being a badass and standing up to Michael. That was the only explanation for it.

At least Michael was cool. Everyone looked up to him, and it was easy to see why: He listened to what they said and didn’t treat anyone like a baby. Remembering when Michael shook his hand brought a smile to Jason’s face. It was funny; the one person with any real authority around this place was the only one not trying to boss him around.

Jason was still staring at his books and thinking about Michael when he heard the door open behind him. He had locked it, so when he saw Lydia walk in, he knew that she must have a key.

“What do you want?” he mumbled before turning back to his books in an attempt to appear nonchalant about her entrance.

Lydia didn’t answer. Not immediately, at least. Jason heard the floor squeak and knew the old woman was walking up to him. He climbed onto the bed and stared at the RV’s wall, hoping she would take the hint and leave.

Lydia kept moving closer, and Jason could feel her weight as she sat on the edge of the bed. He rolled his eyes. Of course she would not take the hint. She was just as bad as the rest of them. They all wanted to coddle and comfort him like a little baby. Getting him to say he was frightened was good. Seeing him shed some tears was even better. Then they would know for sure he was just a baby who did not understand what was really going on out there and needed to be sheltered. Jason clenched his teeth and crossed his arms. He stared at the curtains on one of the windows. He would give Lydia neither the fear nor the tears she was hoping for, and maybe then she would understand that he was a grown-up and not just another snot-nosed little kid.

“They really pissed you off, didn’t they?”

Jason wasn’t expecting that. He turned to look at Lydia. Remembering his newfound attitude, he turned back to the wall, but not before seeing that Lydia was not trying to touch him or comfort him. It seemed like every woman he met these days thought that all he needed was a little human contact, that a gentle touch would make all the pain go away. But Lydia was not even looking at him. She was staring at a wall instead, just like he had been.

He didn’t speak. He had no idea what to say. He suspected Lydia’s words were some kind of trap. He crossed his arms tighter around his body and tensed his shoulders. He was determined not to give her anything to work with.

“It would have pissed me off if they had treated me like that. I’ll tell you that for nothing.”

Jason shifted uncomfortably. He wanted to agree with her, but knew he shouldn’t. It’s a trick! Don’t listen to her; she’s trying to fool you.

“You must really hate those three right about now. I can’t say that I blame you. They must think they’re your parents or something.”

Jason continued to feel strange. He wanted to blurt out a demand for Lydia to stop using Jedi mind tricks on him.

“Jason, I have to tell you, I think it was very brave of you to volunteer to go out with the men. I think it shows great integrity to be willing to put yourself at risk for the benefit of others.”

Jason turned, his curiosity getting the better of him. Lydia glanced at him, and he turned back to face the wall again. She was just trying to butter him up. It ain’t going to happen, old lady. Not today!

Jason felt the springs in the bed move. He tensed, waiting for a hand to drop onto his shoulder or worse yet, on top of his head. That’s what adults did. They always tried to comfort you or encourage you, instead of treating you with any sort of respect.

When Jason heard Lydia in the bathroom instead, it threw him off. He turned around again, this time with his entire body. He switched positions on the bed so he was facing her direction and saw the gray-haired woman coming out of the bathroom about a minute later. She gave him a brief smile and remained standing across the room.

“Sorry. I had to use the ladies’, and I figured if I had asked you for permission, I might be waiting a while before you answered.” She winked at him. “My bladder’s too damn weak for that.”

She grabbed a chair away from the small dining table and dragged it closer to the bed. She set it down a few feet away and pointed at it.

“You mind?”

Jason realized he was shaking his head before he he’d given it any thought, and Lydia was already seated before he could think to say “no”, or anything else for that matter. Instead, he sat with his arms crossed, facing her. He let go of the breath he was holding and stared at Lydia.

“What do you want?”

This time, he did not mumble the query, but tried to put some force behind it. It still came out as a half-croak. His throat was dry, and he cleared it, embarrassed. He forced himself to keep eye contact with her. He was not going to let her get the best of him.

Lydia exposed her palms, holding them outward as she leaned back in her chair. “It’s okay, Jason. I’m not here to ride you or give you grief. I know you think I am, but I’m not.”